Detector for different classes of address-plates.



U. G. LEE. DETECTOR FOR DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ADDRESS PLATES.

. APPLICATION 111.121) JUNE 28, 1912.

" 1 3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented May 16, 1916.

U. G. LEE. DETECTOR FOR DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ADDRESS PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, I912.

W; Z w m U. G. LEE. DETECTOR FOR DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ADDRESS PLATES. 1,13,71.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1912.

Patented May 16, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- I .Z'vwen or, MUCJUZW 02 was CiLee, 5 T63 whdm wxw/mv% ED STATE PATENT @FFICE.

. ULYSSES 6-. LEE. OF CHA'ITANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO MONTAGUE MAILING MACHINERY 00., A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

.. DETECTOR FOR DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ADDRESS-PLATES.

Application filed June 28, 1912.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ULY'ssns G. LEE, a citizen of the United States. residing at Chattanooga, Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detectors for Different Classes of Address- Plates, of which the following is a specifica tion. I

My invention relates to addressing machinery and as an instance of the practical application of my invention, I have shown the same in connection with he general type of addressing machine disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me January 16, 1912, No. 1014762, and that granted to Owens, Lee and Lyle, No. 1012424, December 19, 1911. In addressing machines of this general type the impressions upon the publications or magazines are made from address plates which are fed or moved into place beneath the impression pad which then presses the magazine upon the address plate. a suitable inking ribbon being interposed between the magazine and the. address plate which carries the type. \Vhilel have referred to the class of machine shown in the patents above mentioned, it will be understood that I do not limit myself in the application of my invention to any particular form of machine.

The purpose of my invention is to provide detector means whereby address plates belonging to any one or more than one class may be detected and printed from among any number of lates or any number of classes. Those plates not belonging to the particular class or classes desired pass through the machine without making an impression on the magazine or publications to be addressed. For instance a merchant may have his customers classed according to the amount that they purchase weekly. That is to say, he may have one class purchasing under ten'dollars weekly, another purchasing in amounts between ten dollars and twenty dollars, another between twenty dollars and thirty dollars and'so on. The address plates of all his customers are filed or arranged in order alphabetically, and supposing he desires to address a letter or publication as a circular to'the customers of any one or more classes, say the class purchasing in amounts between fifty dollars and sixty dollars weekly and the class purchasing in amounts between sixty dollars Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Serial No. 706,521.

and seventy dollars weekly, hemay, by the use of my invention, cause the addressing machine to address communications or circulars or letters to customers belonging to these two classes by running all of his address plates through his addressing machine, the detector mechanism selecting the address plates belonging to these two classes and causing impressions to be made therefrom while all of the other address plates will pass through the machine without effect. By my lnvention the plates belonging to the desired classes are printed from but in the general series of plates they are maintained in proper relation to each other and to the plates not printed from. i

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan iew of an address plate adapted to carry out my invention; Fig. 1 is a sectional view. Fig 2 is awertical cross sectional view of the table or bed of the machine with an address plate in place to be printed, my detector devices being also shown in position and partly in section. Fig. 3 is a view looking from the left of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically the electromagnet, clutch and connections for controlling the impression. Fig. 5 is a view-"showing a signal bell as a means of control for the making of impressions and connections for operating the same.

The address plates A are formed, as shown in Fig. 1, with notches'cut in the rolled edge along one side. The address plate may vary in construction in so far as some features of my invention are concerned, but in the particular construction illustrated the rolled ,margin is depressed below the main body of the plate. upon which main body the type are embossed. In this rolled edge a tab strip of thin steel. shown at 4, is inserted, the rolled edge providing a guideway in which the tab may he slipped. This tab strip is intended to obstruct or close one or more of the notches. These notches are closed or obstructed by the tab strip belonging to the class or classes of plate to which the customer belongs whose address is on that particular plate. For instance. if the notch No. 1 is closed or obstructed by the tab strip the customer whose address this plate' bears is included in class 1 of the list of plates.

These address plates. as shown in Fig. 2.

rest upon the portion 5 of the table of the addressing machine, being guided by their depressed rolled edges moving along the guideway in the table consisting of the 5 grooves 6 and 7. The plates are moved along the guide way by studs, one of which is shown at 7* on a feed chain indicated at 7 Fig. 2. When the plate is moved to printing position it lies under an impression block or pad 11, and the article to be addressed having been fed into position over the plate and over an inking ribbon passing over the plate, the depression of the impression block will make the impression of the 5 address from the address plate onto the article to be addressed. The feed chain, as in the patents above mentioned, has an intermittent movement. The detector mechanism for controlling the impression comprises a rocker arm 8 carrying at its upper end a series of feelers a, b, c, d, e, f, and 9. These are pivotally mounted on a rod 9 and they are'so spaced that each feeler is opposite the center of its proper notch in the address plate, that is, the feeler a will be opposite the first notch, the feeler b will be opposite the second notch and so on throughout the series. Each of these feelers may be adjusted to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 or to that shown 80 in dotted' lines, being held in either of these positions by spring detents 10, one for each feeler adapted to engage notches in the feeler. Each feeler has a projection 11 serving as a finger piece for the adjustment of the feeler to its different positions. When the feelers are in the position shown in full lines and the rocker 8 is swung to the right of Fig. 2, the feelers will be in position to strike the edge of the tab strip, whereas ,when the feelers are adjusted in the position shown in dotted lines they will perform an idle movement when the rocker 8 is moved toward the right, that is, they will be out of line with the notched edge of the address plate.

The rocker 8 is pivotally mounted at 12 on a shaft which is supported by bracket" arms 1-3. The rocker 8 is connected with an arm 15 also pivotally mounted on the shaft or pin 12 and having a frictional engagement or connection at 16 with the said rocker arm 8. This frictional connection may be of various forms, but as one form I show a spring at 1.6 between the hubs of the arms 8 and 15 The arm 15 is oscillated by a rod 17 from an eccentric 18 on the drive shaft of the machine. The rocker arms 8 and 15, under the control of the feelers, in turn control connections leading to the mechanism for 00 operating the impression block. While these connections may be of various forms, in the best form they consist of electrical contacts 19 and 20 carried by the rocker arm 15 and adapted to be closed by engagement with a a; portion or member carried by the rocker arm 8, this member being shown at 30 and consisting of. a rod screw-threaded and adjustably mounted in the arm 8, a jamb nut 31 holding this member in any adjusted position. Under the table of the machine is secured a bracket 32 having a set screw 33 held by a jamb nut 34, this member 33 being adapted to be engaged by the-rocker arm 8 as it swings toward the left, in Fig. 2, for a purpose hereinafter described. 5

From the contacts 19 and 20 circuit connections lead off to an electromagnet which controls a clutch upon the main shaft of the machine, which clutch in turn controls the operation of the crank which operates the 30 impression member so that it will perform one action and be thrown out of action when the impresison member returns to its upper position. These connections for operating the impression member are shown diagram- 35 maticaliy in Fig. 4, in which the electromagnet is indicated at a, the clutch controlling lever 7), the crank c and the connections between the crank and impression member at cl, 6, f. The clutch is of any suigible throw out variety and is located at The operation of the invention is as follows: The metal strip or tab 4, which slides with some frictional contact along the inside of the slotted rolled edge of the address plate, determines, as above indicated, the class or classes to which the customer be longs whose address appears on the plate,

and in thus determining the class the tab strip or as it may be called the selecting strip, fills or obstructs one or more of the nothes in the plate. Suppose, for example, the merchants list of address plates contains five thousand addresses filed alphabetically without regard to classification as to ,purchasing power or other considerations and it is desired to mail matter to the first, third and fifth classes, the operator sets the feelers a, c and 6 representing respectively the first, third and fifth classes in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. The other feelers b,

d, f and g are depressed to the position shown in dotted lines where they are out of line or below the horizontal plane in which the notched edge of the address plate lies. The feelers are heldin their respective po sitions by the spring detents.

Supposing that the plates are being fed along the guideway of the machine and that the first plate to reach the printing point is one of the fourth class, which means that thisfplate will have its fourth notch, counting om the left of Fig. 1, obstructed while all of the other notches will be free. Now as the feeler d, corresponding to this class, is depressed to the position shown in dotted lines, the said feeler on a movement of the rocker arm 8 to the right will simply perform an idle movement and the saidarm will 1:0

move to its full limit and as the electric contacts are normally disengaged their relation will not be altered, and consequently the clutch magnets will not be energized and no impression will result. Supposing the next plate tio reach the printing point is one of the fifth class, having its notch No. 5, counting from the left of Fig. 1, obstructed by the tab or selecting strip -1 when the rocker arm 8 now makes its forward motion toward the right, the feeler e, which as above described is in the position shown in full lines Fig. 2. will contact with the obstructing tab strip or selector 4, thus arresting the movement of the arm 8 before its full stroke is completed, and as rocker arm 15 continues its movement for the full stroke the electric contact 20 will be closed with the contact 19 be cause of engaging the member 30 on the rocker arm 8, and upon the closing of the circuits at 19 and 20 the clutch magnets will be energized and the operating means for the impression block or pad will be rendered active and an impression will be made from this particular plate. As before stated the rocker arms 8 and 15 have frictional engagement or connection with each other at their pivot points so that these two arms will move uniformly so long as the arm 8 is not obstructed, but when this arm 8 is obstructed, as above described, the arm 15 can complete its full movement because the frictional connection will permit this. and therefore the circuits will be closed by the change in relation between these two arms 8 and 15.

'The member 30 may have an insulating or fiber button at its end to engage the contact 20. Now on the reverse stroke of the eccentric 18 and the downward movement of the arm 15 the arm 8, through the frictional connection, above described, will be retracted until it' strikes the stop 33. The arm 15, however, is free to continue downward because of the frictional connection between these two arms anti thus a relative spreading of the arms 8 and 15 will take place to make them assume their normal relative position.

From the above it will be seen that all of the feelers are depressed excepting those corresponding to the class or classes it is desired to address. These remaining feelers, which are left up, feel for and detect all plates having the corresponding slot or notch obstructed and through suitable mechanism control the operation of the impression member. It will be understood that the feeding means for the. address plates may be of various forms, and as aninstance I refer to the patents above' mentioned consisting of a stepby step movable endless chain which positions the address plate accurately at the printing point, and when at said pointthe notches in the plates will register properly with the corresponding feelers when these are in operative position. The particular means for operating the impression member does not form any part of my present invention but this may be substantially the same as that disclosed in another application filed bv me.

The address plates may be said to be selective in that they are constructed to be selected for printing according to the adjustment of the feeler device. Likewise the feeler and connections controlled thereby may be considered as a selector for selecting the desired plates from the list for printing.

1 have described the selective address plate as havin therolled edge and a tab strip for furnishing the obstructive portions of changed in many particulars and still the essential principles of my invention will be present. a

As mv present invention concerns the detecting of the desired address plates, 1 have not thought it necessary to go into the matter of handling or feeding the magazines.

\Vhile I have mentioned that the detector mechanism may be used to control an electromagnetic clutch mechanism for operating th impression member, it will be understood that the said detector mechanism may be used in connection with a regular motor drive addressor, in which case the detector mechanism could be made to ring an elec tric hell or operate any other desired form of signal to notify the operator that the plate is to be printed or skipped, the immediate control of the clutch in this latter instance being eifected by manual action of the operator.

It will thus be seen that the selective ad dress plates and the selector mechanism in either case determine the carrying out of a function of the machine; e., the making of the impression is thus determined whether by the automatic control of the impression head or by signal to the operator, who then manually controls the impression mechanism.

Said signal bell is shown in Fig. 5 at Z. This signal bell constitutes controller means for the impression means in the sense that when this bell rings the operator knows whether or not he is to make impression. The controller means shown in Fig. 4 does not require the intervention of the hand of the operator, but whether this form of controller means is used or the signal bell. the

2. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising a series of printing plates, each having a depressed rolled margin, with a portion thereof omitted intermediate the ends of the plate, a tab exposed at said omitted part of the plate, and having its opposite ends held in said rolled margin, said tab being adjustable in a di-' rection lengthwise of the rolled margin while maintaining connection therewith, means to contact with the tabs on the plates, and suitable operating connections controlled by said last mentioned means, substantially as described.

3. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising a series of printing plates, each having a depressed rolled margin with a portion omitted therefrom, a tab held by the rolledm'argin of the plate, said.

tab being adjustable in a direction lengthwise of the rolled margin, and in respect to the omitted parts thereof,'means operating to and from the printing plate to contact with the tab, and suitable operating connections controlled by saidlast mentioned means, substantially. as described.

4. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising a series of printing plates, each having a depressed rolled margin with a portion thereof omitted therefrom, a tab held by the rolled margin of the plate and adjustable in a direction lengthwise of the rolled margin and in respect to the omitted part thereof, means movable to and from the printing plate, and having a. series of fingers adjustably mounted to hit or miss the tabs of the printing plates, and suitable operating connections controlled by said last mentioned means substantially as described.

5. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising a series of printing plates having tabs adjustable thereon, means operating to and from the printing plate having a series of fingers pivotally mounted and adjustable about their pivots to hit or miss the tabs of the printing plates, and suitable operating connections controlled by said last mentioned means, substantially as described 6. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates, a movable carrier having movement to and from the selective address plates, and having thereon a series of feelers adjustably mounted to hit or miss the address plate, and connections controlled by the arresting of the carrier short of its full strolie, substantially as described.

7. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates having contact portions and recesses, a carrier having movement to and from the address plate, and having thereon a series of feelers each adjustable to aline with the plane of the contact portions and recesses,

or to be out of the plane thereof, and suitable operating connections controlled by said last mentioned means, substantially as described.

8. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates having contact portions and recesses, said I contact portions and recesses being adjustable as to the relative disposition of said contact portions and recesses, and means to contact with the plates adjustable in relation to said contact portions and recesses, and connections controlled by the said means, substantially as described.

9. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates having at their edges recesses and contact portions the latter being adjustable to vary the relative dispositions of the said recesses and contact portions, means carrying feelers in line-with said recesses and contact portions, and movable to and from the plate said/feelers being adjustable to hit or miss the contact portion, and connections controlled by the said means, substantially as described.

10. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates, a carrier member having movement to and from the address plate, and carrying feelers to engage the plates, a driver for the carrier having a yielding connection therewith to permit movement of the driver when the carrier is arrested, and connections controlled by the relative displacement of the carrier and driver due to a feeler hitting a plate, substantially as described.

11. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates, a carrier having feelers to engage the plates, an oscillatory arm for supporting the carrier, a driving arm having a yielding driving connection with the carrier, and electrical contacts controlled bythe relative displacement of the two arms due to a feeler striking an address plate, substantially as described.

12. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates having recesses with means for obstructing any of said recesses to make contact portions, a series of feelers to engage any contact portion desired, and to pass into said recesses when the contact is absent, a carrier for said feelers, and means controlled by the contact of a feeler with one of the contact portions, substantially as described.

13. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates having recesses, each extending clear to the edge of the plate with means for obstructure any of'said recesses to make contact portions, said obstructing means consisting of strips adjustable on theplates, a carrier having movement toward and from the plates and having feelers to engage the contact portions, substantially as described.

14. Selector machanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates, having recessed rolled margins with said recesses extending clear to theedges of the margins, and means carried within the rolled margins for obstructing any desired recess to provide contact portions and free recesses, a carrier having feelers thereon to engage the said contact portions, and means for giving the carrier movement to and from the plate, substantially as described.

15. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising selective address plates having rolled margins lying in a plane to one side of the plane of the main impression surface of the plate, said rolled margins being recessed clear to the edges thereof, means carried by the rolled margins to obstruct the desired recess or recesses to provide contact portions or free recesses, a carrier with means for moving the same to and from the address plates, and feeler means mounted on said carrier to contact with the contact portions of the plates, substantially as described.

16. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising a series of selective address plates, each having a rolled margin with a recess formed therein extending clear to the edge of said margin intermediate of its ends, and a member in said recess with its ends held inserted in the rolled margin of the plate, a carrier having movement to and from the address plate, and feeler means mounted on said carrier, substantially as described.

17. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising a series of selective address plates having recesses and contact 'margins depressed below the plane of the type face, provided with recesses extending clear to the edge of said margins, contact means adjustable in the rolled depressed margins to obstruct the desired recess, and feeler means cooperating with said recesses and contact means, and operating below the plane of the body of the plate, substantially as described.

19. Selector mechanism for addressing machinery comprising a series of address plates, each having its margin depressed below the main body of the plate, a table along which the plates are moved, means below the surface of the table engaging one depressed margin for moving the address plates, and means below the surface of the table cooperating with the other depressed margin, said last mentioned means having a feeler or feelers to contact with the said depressed margin, substantially as described. In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- ULYSSES G. LEE.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR J. PAHNER, WM. F. MILBURN. 

